Nigeria slaps Meta with $220 million fine over WhatsApp privacy violations
Lagos. A Nigerian regulatory body has imposed a $220 million fine on Meta, citing violations of the country’s data and privacy laws in WhatsApp's privacy policy.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) issued a press release on Friday, July 19, stating that Meta had breached the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019 (NDPR), and other relevant legislation.
According to the FCCPC, these violations include "intrusive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria, such as unauthorized appropriation of personal data, discriminatory practices against Nigerian consumers, and abuse of dominant market position through coercive and non-compliant privacy policies."
In response to the fine, a WhatsApp spokesperson told Bloomberg, "In 2021, we globally communicated changes to how interactions with businesses on our platform would function.
Despite initial confusion, these changes have been well-received. We disagree with the decision and the fine and intend to appeal."
This development follows Meta's decision, reported by Reuters, to suspend its generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in Brazil after objections from Brazilian regulators over parts of its privacy policy.
Earlier in July, Brazil's National Data Protection Authority halted the implementation of Meta's updated privacy policy, specifically concerning the processing of personal data for AI training.
Meta also faced setbacks in Europe when, in June, it paused the launch of its AI assistant, Meta AI, after regulatory authorities requested a delay in training its large language models using content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram.
These regulatory actions reflect growing global scrutiny over tech companies' handling of user data and privacy policies, impacting their operations and strategies worldwide.
